Frame for pictures or other articles



(-No Model.)

W. K. DAVID. v FRAME PoR PIGTURBS on. 0mm ARTICLES.

No. 516,187. Patent-ed Marv. 13,1894.V

24 nyefzi" E Avloruu. LlTHoanAPmNa con Asmuarou. n. c.

UNITED ArnNr union.

FRAME FOR PICTURES OR OTHER ARTICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming' part Of Letters Patent No. 516,187, dated March 13, 1894.

Application filed January 28,1393- Serial No. 460,133. (No model.)

.To aZ'Z whom t may concern.-

De 1t known th at I, WILLIAM KING DAVID, a cltizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain n ew and useful Improvement in Frames, of which the following is a specification.

My Invention relates to improvements in frames, for pictures, calendars, mirrors, and other articles, and especially to such frames when made with celluloid. More especially it 1s the purpose of my invention to devise such means and methods of construction, that the celluloid strips, which are employed, will be firmly and permanentlysecured in the proper curves and forms, and protected from breaklng. Whllc the capacity of sheet celluloid for high finish and diversified coloring has admirablyadapted it for ornamental frames, and the curvature or curling of the strips has facilitated its bending into graceful shapes, yet, heretofore, its very brittle nature has prevented its general use for such purposes, because of its liability to crack and break away atthe edges. But I have devised a method of construction Which reinforces, clamps, and supports the celluloid in such a manner that it does not break or crack. Also, my method of construction provides a rabbet or groove to hold the edges of a mirror or other object, the elasticity of the celluloid causing it to act as a clamp; and finally, I provide for increasing the ornamental effect by arranging several rolls of the celluloid of different size in succession.

Referring to the drawings which accompany the specification to aid the description: Figure 1, is an elevation of a frame complete. Fig. 2 is a section on the line X X of Fig. l. Fig. 2a is a sectional view of a modification, wherein I dispense with the reinforcing strip which forms the rabbet. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail, showing by the solid black lines the celluloid and reinforcing strips before the celluloid is curved back to form the frame, and indicating by dotted line the manner in which the celluloid is curved back and secured to the back of the frame. Fig. t is a detail, showing the manner in which the flexible corner pieces are secured to the celluloid strips. Fig. 5 is aseotional view of a lframe with two celluloid rolls of different sizes arranged one inside of the other. Fig. 6 is a view of the surface appearance of the frame when made as indicated in Fig. 5.

I construct my frame in the following manner, referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4: I take four strips of celluloid, A, A', B, B', of proper length for the sides, top and bottom of the frame, and secure on these strips andnear each end thereof rectangular strips of suitable ornamental iiexible material, C, C, such as velvet or leather. My preferred method of doing this is shown in Fig. 4, and consists in laying the velvet strip, C, at the end of one of the celluloid strips aforesaid, and right side down, and then stitching, with a sewing machine, ora wire stitching machine, through and through the velvet and celluloid, as at c, c, a little back from the extreme end of the celluloid strip. I- find that when secured in this way to a flexible soft material, like leather or velvet, the celluloid does not show a disposition to crack, and that a very durable union between the celluloid and the leather or velvet can be thus made. Next I turn back the strip, C, turn under its free edge, place it against the adjacent end of the next celluloid strip, and stitch the leather and the celluloid together, as before. Then I stitch the next corner strip of velvet or leather on the other end of the second celluloid strip and one end of the third celluloid strip, and so on until I have the four celluloid strips connected end to end byy corner pieces of leather or velvet, the ends of the rst and of the fourth celluloid strips of course being united by a corner strip. Next I place a reinforcing strip of somewhat soft and tough pasteboard, d, d', respectively, on either side and along the outer edge of one of the celluloid strips, as A, (Fig. 3,) and stitch through and through the strips d, d', and the celluloid strip A, thereby reinforcing the edge of the latter and effectually preventing its cracking, when curved back to shape the frame. Next Isecure the back, E, to the reinforcing strips d, d', in any suitable manner, and I prefer, in small frames, to make the backs of soft and tough pasteboard, and stitch through and through al1, asindicated in Fig. 8. Indeed the backs may be stitched IOO on atthe same time the reinforcing strips, d, d', are stitched. NeXtIcurve back the celluloid strip, as indicated by the dotted line, Fig. 3, and under the back, E, and then stitch one or more rows of stitches through and through the said celluloid strip and back. In the same manner I proceed with the next celluloid strip B, and sew Well all four strips. As the said Celluloid strips are severally secured to the back,E, they form the four sides of arectangular frame, their curved form giving them a handsome appearance, and the corner strips, C, C, take on a puffed and creased shape, which increases the effect. It will be observed, from Fig. 3, that the use of the strips, d', produces a groove or rabbet, f, all around the inside of the celluloid strips, which groove is well adapted to receive the edges of a mirror, photograph, or other object, the elasticity of the celluloid allowing it to press back to permit insertion of the mirror, C., into the rabbet and immediately springing it forward again to clamp the edges thereof. ButI do not confine myself to using saidstrip, d', for I can dispense with it, as iudicated in Fig. 2, without essentially varying my method of reinforcing the celluloid. Moreover, while I prefer the stitching of the celluloid to the strips, Cl, el', and back, E, as a very durable and simple method of fastening, I can attach the Celluloid to the strips an dbacks in other ways, my invention in this respect consisting essentially in the employmentof reinforcing materials at the edges of the celluloid. For convenience in the stitching I show the back, E, Cut out in rectangular shape, and if necessary for any special purpose` a second back may be secured to E after the frame is otherwise completed.

In making the frame illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, Iproceed as follows: First I stitch the strips, d, d', and back, E, to the celluloid strip, A2, which is to form the inner molding of the frame, then curve back the free edge of said strip, A2, to register with the edge of the back,

E, place on it right side down, the celluloid strip, A3, which is to form the outer molding of the frame, place on the reinforcing strip, d2, clamp all, and stitch through and through the strip, cl2, both celluloid strips and back, E, and finally curve back the free edge of the celluloid strip, A3, under the back, E, and stitch through and through the said celluloid strip and the back.

and at the other edge Now, having described my improvement, I claim as my invention- 1. The frame hereinbefore described, and consisting of the back piece, the curved strip of celluloid or like substance fastened at one edge to the under side of the back, and having its other edge confined between the u pper side of the back and a reinforcing strip, substantially as described.

2. A frame consisting of the following elements, to wit: a back piece, a rabbetforining strip on the front thereof, a reinforcing st rip on the rabbet-forming strip, and a molding strip of celluloid, or like material, secured at one edge on the under side of the back piece,

between the rabbetforming strip and the reinforcing strip.

A frame consistin g of aback piece, moldings of celluloid, or like material, thereon, and corner pieces of iexible cloth-like material connecting the ends ofthe moldings, substantially as described.

4. A frame consisting of a back piece and a plurality of moldings of celluloid, or like material, arranged successively thereon, one within the other, as described.

5. Corner pieces for frames of celluloid, or like material, and con sisting of piecesof clothlike stuifs, each attached right side down to the end of one side of the frame and turned back and attached right side down to the adjacent end of the next side of the frame, substautially as described.

6. The method of making frames hereinbefore described, consisting in applying side moldings of celluloid to a back piece and connecting the same together in the following manner: securing one edge of each ofthe celluloid strips between reinforcing stripsand the front side of the back piece, curving back each said celluloid strip around the adjacent edge and behind the rearside of said back piece, attaching the other edge of eachcelluloid strip to the rear side of said back piece, and connecting the adjacent ends of the celluloid strips by strips of`cloth-like stuff:

In testimony that lclaim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, imprese` ence of' two witnesses, this 12th day of" Jann ary, 1893.

WILLIAM KING DAVID; Witnesses:

NELSON A. GHEsNUT, H. G. HART. 

